ASTWOOD Bank Operatic Society returns to the stage this spring with a new production of Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Yeomen of the Guard at the Norbury Theatre from Thursday to Saturday, March 12 to 14.
This year’s show brings a fresh perspective to the beloved operetta, moving the action from the 16th century into a contemporary setting.
The staging is uniquely personal for the company, with three generations of the same family taking key roles.
Jean Chalk takes the helm as director, her daughter appears as Dame Carruthers, the formidable housekeeper of the Tower of London, and her granddaughter plays Kate, Dame Carruthers’ spirited niece.
Jean, a member of Astwood Bank Operatic Society for 43 years, said she was delighted to be directing.
“This performance is particularly special to me because my daughter and granddaughter are both taking principal parts.”
Often described as the darkest and most emotionally resonant of the Savoy Operas, The Yeomen of the Guard is widely considered to feature Sullivan’s finest score.
The story unfolds within the walls of the Tower of London, where a travelling troupe of performers arrives and sets in motion a tangled web of romance, deception, and unrequited love.
Audiences can expect a compelling blend of melancholy and mirth, with the operetta’s more mature themes balanced by the duo’s trademark wit and flair for farce.
The production features many of the show’s most cherished musical numbers, including ‘I Have a Song to Sing, O’, ‘When a Wooer Goes a-Wooing’, and ‘Free from His Fetters Grim’.
At the centre of the story is Phoebe Meryll, who has caught the attention of the jailor Wilfred Shadbolt – though her heart lies elsewhere with the condemned Colonel Fairfax.
A daring escape plot, an unexpected marriage proposal and the arrival of performers Jack Point and Elsie Maynard create a chain of events that leave one character without the happy ending they hoped for.
